CDC Reports Six Measles Deaths Amid US Outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported six measles-related deaths in the United States for 2026, doubling the fatalities from 2025. This resurgence is the worst in decades, with over 5,000 measles cases recorded, the highest since 1991.

Pennsylvania is the most affected state, having reported six deaths associated with measles as of November 4. Additionally, Wisconsin has reported the death of an infant, and New York has recorded its first measles-related death in over 30 years.

The CDC did not specify the states where the six deaths occurred in its latest report. This increase in reported fatalities follows a change in the CDC's tracking method under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., shifting from state health department figures to mortality data from the National Centre for Health Statistics.

An expert commission from the Pan American Health Organisation is expected to determine whether the US should maintain its measles-free status.